I thought maybe it was just me, but then in the press conference after the 62-14 win over Maryland, a reporter asked Urban Meyer if Barrett appeared more "confident," which I understood as code for being willing to take more risks.

"Yeah, it all ties together," Meyer said. "I see our offensive line getting a little better ... I think we've still got a long ways to go in that area ... and the receivers are making very good plays for him."

Bingo.

Receivers. Are. Making. Very. Good. Plays. For. Him.

Bin Victor, whose 6-foot-4 frame and leaping ability makes him a mismatch for most defensive backs, has caught a touchdown pass in each of the last three games, including one of those 50-50 balls against Rutgers. He's shown signs of becoming that reliable receiver on the edge the Buckeyes have been missing since Michael Thomas departed after the 2015 season.

Another sophomore wideout, Austin Mack, is also maturing and giving OSU a perimeter threat to complement the catch-and-run abilities of Parris Campbell (although his hands are still a problem) and Johnnie Dixon with the short stuff.

It was a modest play in the grand scheme of things last week, but Mack came back on a ball to catch a back shoulder pass, giving the kind of effort I didn't see from him or other receivers a few weeks ago.

When Barrett sees that and Victor getting behind two defenders at Rutgers to make a turning, leaping catch of a 46-yard pass, of course, he's going to start throwing into tighter windows.

"We have to keep improving every day ... understanding myself," Barrett said. "Just go out there, not be timid, be confident in our guys and let 'er rip. Those guys came to make plays, so let them make plays."

Barrett has been saying that all season, but Mack is seeing what a lot of us are seeing.

"It's great to see (Barrett) having that confidence in us to make those catches," Mack said. "Shoot, keep it coming. It's cool."

Of course, we won't really know how much OSU's passing attack has evolved until No. 3 Penn State shows up on Oct. 28 after the Buckeyes' bye week.

Sophomore Bin Victor has caught touchdown passes in each of the last three games and is showing signs of becoming a reliable downfield threat.(Photo: Noah K. Murray/USA TODAY Sports)

Barrett will probably have to throw some caution to the wind against a team of that caliber. If being bold means his ranking as one of the nation's more efficient passers (16 touchdowns, just 1 interception) takes a slight dip, so be it. That's a trade-off most OSU fans will take.

"In the course of the game, I'm having conversations with (the receivers), so we're on the same page," Barrett said. " All these things take time.

"We have practice, but in terms of in game, when all the lights are on, the pressure's on, you don't really have that in practice. It's all a process. It's mainly being confident in the receivers, them being in the right spot, me being confident in them. We needed games to really enhance that."

CLOSE

TE Marcus Baugh on his hurdle near the goal line against Maryland and improvement he and OSU offense have made
Jon Spencer/News Journal

It's not difficult to picture the Buckeyes scoring at least 50 points for the fourth straight game on Saturday night at Nebraska, which would tie a mark set during the 2014 national championship season.

Those Buckeyes rebounded from a week 2 loss at home to 11-point underdog Virginia Tech to score 50 points or more in four straight routs before beating Penn State 31-24 in one of Barrett's signature games.

Those Buckeyes were able to convince the College Football Playoff committee that they were a different team than the one that lost to Virginia Tech.

These Buckeyes still have a long way to go to fit a national champion profile and put the week 2 loss at home to Oklahoma completely behind them. But we can all agree that the passing attack is no longer in a sorry state.

Even tight end Marcus Baugh is getting in the act. He hurdled a defender at the goal line on a TD catch against Maryland, one week after Meyer said he hadn't always given that kind of effort — what Meyer called "strain."

"Me and coach (Kevin) Wilson (offensive coordinator) talked. I just have to play hard," Baugh said. "That's what I'm focused on doing ... just trusting the people around me."